1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to apparatus designed to prevent patients or children from falling out of beds. More particularly, the invention pertains to a portable bed rail construction, employing a vertical side panel having imbedded rigid structure to resist outward lateral forces imposed by a disabled person or a child.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bed rails have been used for many years in hospitals and health care facilities to restrain patients, and in particular, to prevent them from falling out of a bed or making other damaging movements. Many of these bed rails are structurally integrated with the bed, and generally include some adjustability feature, so they can be raised and lowered with respect to the bed mattress. A Bed Rail Mechanism, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,089, granted to Solomon et al., is representative of this type of bed rail.
One problem which has been recognized with bed rails is the gap which exists or which can be formed, between a mattress and a bed rail. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,666, a Gap-Filling Pad Disposable Between A Mattress And A Bed Rail is shown. FIG. 1 of the '666 patent illustrates how a patient can become entrapped between a bed rail and a mattress, and possibly suffocate.
It has also been recognized that the structure of bed rails themselves can present dangers to patients. Accordingly, elastomeric bed rail covers have been devised having a flap extending between the cover and the bed, preventing bed occupants from extending arms or legs through the gap between the mattress and the bed rail. Such a bed rail cover is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,772, issued to Glynn et al.
Smaller bed rails are also popular for use with infant or youth beds. Some of these smaller bed rails are both collapsible and portable. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,490, granted to Wu, a Collapsible Bed Rail Structure is shown. Another design for Portable, Foldable Bed Rail is illustrated in Des. No. 391,792, issued to Scherer et al. And, U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,756, granted to Nowak et al., discloses a Portable Bed Rail having first and second foot members, insertable into vertical members of a side panel.
The smaller, collapsible bed rails have their own safety issues. Typically, such bed rails have lower and upper support rods spanning vertical shafts forming a generally rectangular bed rail panel. The bed rail panel is covered with a plastic or fabric panel cover, which may include a mesh insert in its central portion. A potentially dangerous situation may be posed by outward deflection of the flexible panel cover, in the region above the mattress itself. In this region, between the lower and upper rods, the flexible panel cover is largely unsupported, and forces imposed by the patient or small child rolling into the panel may cause it to flex outwardly and create a suffocating pocket. The present invention is directed toward addressing and solving this problem.